The present invention relates generally to a disposable cartilage cutter.
More particularly, the present invention relates to a medical cutting device that includes a device body and a cover, and is used to create thin cartilage discs, in the case of which a first holding device is provided that includes a first section that includes a first recess which is located in the top side of the device body, the first recess being entirely or partially enclosed by a first delimiting ridge, and being closable via a first projection which is located on the top side of the cover, and in which the first lateral delimiting ridge includes a first guide slot which is guided via an end face of the first section and extends, at a predetermined first distance, parallel to the bottom surface of the first recess.
A device of this type is known from EP 0 483 567 B1.
Time and time again, it becomes necessary for various medical purposes to cut thin, endogeneous cartilage discs out of a larger piece of cartilage, e.g., from the auricle, the tragus, the cartilaginous portion of the upper bony rib, or the nasal septum. For example, it may be necessary to examine special properties of the main body in greater detail, in particular under a microscope. In otorhinolaryngology, thin cartilage discs of this type are also required in many surgical applications, such as in the middle ear region to cover a middle ear prosthesis, to restore the posterior wall of the auditory meatus, or for the plastic repair of a defect of the tympanic membrane. Thin cartilage discs of this type are also used in many nasal surgeries, in order to perform functional or aesthetic corrections of the nose.
A cutting device of the type in question is described in EP 0 483 567 B1, using which thin cartilage discs having a thickness that is specifiable, within certain limits, may be cut out of a larger piece of cartilage quickly, reliably, and with a consistent level of quality. However, to obtain different thicknesses of the cartilage discs that are obtained, special shims having a known thickness must be placed in the cutting device. These shims, like the cutting device itself, must be thoroughly cleaned and kept sterile, and they must be handled in this manner separately before every operation, which is a time-consuming process that is susceptible to error. Considering that an average ENT hospital has three to four surgical suites, and that, at peak times, fifteen to twenty patients may be operated on in one day, it is possible that a cartilage cutter must be made available up to fifteen times a day. This poses a great logistical challenge in terms of supplying sterilized materials.
Moreover, handling the shims is not entirely easy. For example, due to their small size, it is not always possible to label them adequately and in an easily recognized manner, even though this is necessary in order to ensure that precisely the proper shim having the particular size that is required is available during the operation. In addition, special skills are required to insert the relatively small shims into the cutting device correctly, and to fix them in position therein.